frank



Feb. 21, 1956 J J FRANK 2,735,149

CLOSURE FASTENER Filed Aug. 13, 1951 INVENTOR. JOSEPH J. FRANK A T TORNEY United States Patent CLOSURE FASTENER Joseph James Frank, Union, N. J.Application August 13, 1951, Serial No. 241,511 Claims. (Cl. 24-305)This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No.189,924, filed October 13, 1950.

This invention relates to a sausage, to a closure fastener, to afastened closure, and to a method of fastening closures and sealingconstrictions. The invention will be described as applied to the sealingof foodstuffs such as smoked meats, poultry, frozen foods, but it alsoincludes sealing anything, for instance machine parts subject to rust,in hermetically sealed flexible containers protecting against liquidsand gases, but the particular description is only illustrative of thegeneral principles, procedures and apparatus.

An object of this invention is to seal materials such as foodstuffs intransparent, hermetically sealed packages. Thus, poultry, ham or thelike may be enclosed in a bag composed of polyethylene, or ofregenerated cellulose, or the like, evacuated by known methods, andsealed. The sealing has heretofore offered material difliculty, althoughattempted by string or various sorts of clamps. The first attempt atsealing usually involves forming a constriction at the mouth of the bagby collapsing the end and gathering it into a tight spiral to which thestring is applied. However, prior methods have not succeeded in forminga successful hermetical seal in the end of a tube, except, it isbelieved, in the case of the barrel fasteners of my own prior invention.

It is an object of the invention to seal such a closure and to make asatisfactory closure fastener for that pur pose.

It is another object to seal great sausages with metallic fasteners atboth ends, an object heretofore diflicult of accomplishment in manycases.

The application of the invention is not limited to the sealing oftwisted closures but is equally applicable to the sealing of other typesof constriction such as pleats and folds.

The invention includes a fastened closure, a closure fastener, and amethod of fastening a closure with the fastener, the nature of whichwill be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings.

A preferred form of the invention involves a closure fastener comprisingan elongated body of stiff metal adapted to be curled around a flexibleclosure such as a sausage casing to form a sealing collar, said bodyhaving bracing means along an edge thereof and having a roundedprotuberance at one end adapted to compress the flexible material of theclosure to which the fastener is applied.

Fig. l is a side view of the fastener;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the fastener;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a closure fastened with the novel fastener;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the fastener is made,showing bend lines in dots; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modification.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the fastener; and

Fig. 8 is a section through a closure sealed by the fastener of Fig. 7.

The fastener itself has a transversely flat body portion 10. Thisportion need not be geometrically flat. Along the sides of this bodyportion in the preferred form extend flanges 11, 12, which projectoutwardly from the body portion at an obtuse angle, such angle beingmeasured with respect to the geometrical elements of the eX- ternal sideof the body portion. These flanges have a plurality of functions servingnot only to give the body portion a degree of rigidity sufiicient tohold its shape after application but also to protect the material of thesealed casing against damage by the fastener itself. These flanges arereduced in height at their ends as indicated at 12 and disappear, theircurvature being extended into the curves of the end pieces or tabs ofthe fastener. The angle at which the flanges are employed makes itpossible to use flanges of material height, but flanges perpendicular tothe body portion can be employed, care being taken that their height isnot so great that they split when the fastener is applied. The form offlange shown is preferred.

The fastener is return bent at 13, a preferred form of return bend beingthe semi-circle, although other shapes may also be employed. Beyond thereturn bend 13 are comparatively straight side lengths 14 whichterminate in tabs 15 which have rounded corners 16. These tabs are bentinwardly at an obtuse angle to side portions 14, preferably during themaking of the fastener, but in any event, at some time during theapplication of the fastener. The tabs 15 are blunt. The preferred formof fastener is thus channel-shaped, having a channel formed between acentral web or strip and bracing means that extends out of the level ofthe web.

The sealed closure forming a part of this invention may be produced inthe following manner, reference being had to Figs. 3 and 4. A bag 20,such as polyethylene or other synthetic or natural flexible material,such as intestine, weasand, or paper is twisted at its end into a tightconstriction 21 which is quite incapable, in itself, of hermeticallysealing the casing. The fastener 10 of Figs. 1 and 2 is placed over theconstricted portion 21 and while the body portion 10 is compressed uponsaid portion the ends 15 are curled inward into juxtaposition and forcedinto the constriction 21 without disrupting the material thereof. Thetwo end portions set up internal compression which is evenly transmittedthroughout all the turns and twists of the material in constriction, sothat all portions thereof become hermetically sealed. It is not at firstapparent why this should be so, but it will be understood better when itis perceived that a single line can be drawn through the compactedmaterial which will be substantially equidistant from the surroundingmetal and surrounded by equal quantities of compressed casing. There is,consequently, a locus of equal compression which may account .at least,to some extent, for the success of the device. The inturned ends 15,being in juxtaposition, brace each other and mutually resist theexpansive effort of the compressed material.

In some cases a single flange is suflicient but in general the doubleflanges are preferred because of the bracing eflects .and additionalstrength which they impart to .the structure.

The device may be made as indicated in Fig. 5 by stamping out ovalblanks 30, bending up flanges 11, 12 along bend lines 31, 32 and bendingtabs 15, 15 in along bend lines 33, 34. The inturning of the ends 15facilitates the application of the fastener. The body portion can bereturn bent in advance or at the time of use. The seal produced ishermetical and proof against dust, moisture and gases.

The curves 16 have the very valuable function of preventing damage tothe casing by the edge of the fastener even though there may be noflange at the precise point where the ends bite into the twist or otherconstriction.

The fasteners canbe made of metal; brass, aluminum and steel havingsufficient flexibility and high form persistance after being bent intosealing relation to the object sealed, and being illustrative. Thethickness of metal used will depend on the service required. In themodification of Fig. 6 there is no flange, the body being provided withrounded edges 50, and with a mid portion of suflicient thickness to havethe requisite form persistence after bending.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in whichthe ends or tabs of the collar are reverse bent to form roundedprotuberances which are adapted to sink into and compress the materialof the closure 21 without weakening or damaging it. Protuberances can beformed in other ways than curling the ends of the collar, for instanceby displacing a portion of the flattish body 14 inwardly, and when soformed the protuberance may appear at a place other than the ends of thecollar.

In Figs. 7 and 8, the numerals 11, 14 refer to the same structure as inFigs. 1 and 2. The ends 15' are reverse bent and constitute roundedprotuberances capable of being forced into the body of the flexibleclosure 20 with more force than the uncurled ends 15 of the form ofinvention of Fig. 1, without damaging or penetrating the material of theclosure. The tabs 15 are preferably inwardly inclined as at 15 and alsoreverse bent as shown in Fig. 7. This form of the invention is superior.

An advantage of the invention is in providing a seal which is applicableto closures of different size, which can seal a twisted constriction,and can be applied to constrictions between lengths of much largerdiameter. For example, these fasteners can be applied to sausages inlinks before the links are severed. As is known, some sausages are madeby filling a long casing with foodstuff, making constrictions in thelength, and twisting the easing at the constrictions. These fastenerscan be applied at such constrictions. Heretofore, such methods of makinglink sausage were applied only to little sausages, but this fastenermakes it possible to form great sausages by a novel process.

A large and very long casing, for instance, several yards in length, isfilled with foodstufi, constrictions are made at spacedintervals, insequence or simultaneously, for instance a foot apart, and the stuffedparts of the casing on opposite sides of the constriction are relativelyrotated to produce a twist in the casing, now freed of food, and two ofthese fasteners are applied side by side to the twist. The casing issevered between the fasteners. This constitutes a new method for makinggreat sausages, continuously. By this method, the difficulty which hadpreviously attended the sealing of both ends of a great sausage by asanitary metal seal is overcome and such sausages are now produciblewith the metal seal at both ends.

The invention serves to close casings, paper and other bags, and toclose all types of flexible containers capable of being constricted. Ithas a wide use, including the sealing not only of the ends of tubularbodies but of constrictions in their mid-lengths as well. The materialis not cut by the inturned ends, which compress the material in theconstriction without rupturing it.

The problems that had heretofore prevented the use of metal fastenersother than barrel fasteners, that is, of metal fasteners of non-circularextent, are overcome.

The new fasteners do not cut the casing and do not release underinternal pressure.

As many apparently widely difierent embodiments of the present inventionmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereon, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificembodiments.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure fastener made of flexible but stiff metal formed at itsmidlength in the shape of a channel, a longitudinally extending webforming the bottom of the channel, longitudinally extending sidesprojecting from opposite sides of said web at divergent angles, the saidweb extending beyond said sides and being provided with approximatelysemi-circular, return bent ends, the height of said sides beingprogressively reduced toward the ends and merging into the extended partof the central web.

2. A closure fastener made of flexible but stiff metal formed at itsmidlength in the shape of a channel, a longitudinally extending webforming the bottom of the channel and longitudinally extending sidesprojecting outwardly from said web at other than a right angle, the saidweb extending beyond said sides at an end of the fastener and beingprovided with a blunt end, the height of said sides being progressivelyreduced toward the end and merging into the extended part of the saidweb.

3. A closure fastener made of return bent flexible but stiff metalformed at its midlength in the shape of a channel, a longitudinallyextending web forming the bottom of the channel, longitudinallyextending sides projecting from opposite sides of said web at divergentangles, the said web extending beyond said sides and being provided withapproximately semi-circular, return bent ends, the height of said sidesbeing progressively reduced toward the ends and merging into theextended part of the central web.

4. A closure fastener made of return bent flexible but stiff metalformed at its midlength in the shape of a channel, a longitudinallyextending web forming the bottom of the channel, longitudinallyextending sides projecting from opposite sides of said web, the said webextending beyond said sides and being provided with approximatelysemi-circular, return bent ends, the height of said sides beingprogressively reduced toward the end and merging into the extended partof the central Web.

5. A closure fastener made of return bent flexible but stiff metalformed at its midlength in the shape of a channel, a longitudinallyextending web forming the bottom of the channel, longitudinallyextending sides projecting from opposite sides of said web, the said webextending beyond said sides and being provided with return bent ends,the height of said sides being progressively reduced toward the ends andmerging into the extended part of the central web.

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED 'STATES PATENTS1,654,340 McIntosh Dec. 27, 1927 1,698,531 Brenizer Jan. 9, 19291,783,967 Kearney Dec. 9, 1930 1,982,281 Birkenmaier et al. Nov. 27,1934 2,406,661 Brady Aug. 27, 1946 2,460,963 Young Feb. 8, 19492,493,063 Frank et a1 Jan. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 181,263 SwitzerlandApr. 16, 1936

